In other news, I just finished rounding out the short story section of a collection. That leaves me clear to start work on a new novella next week. Meanwhile, you can check out my newest, Flash Frost, over here:

It’s a short read, but I had a blast writing it. If you enjoy it, I suggest checking out Wind Chill for a lengthier visit with an evil from the same source (and you even get several bonus short stories to entertain you after it’s done).

I managed to meet the goal I set for the book I wanted to finish by the end of 2018 with a week or so to spare. Given how long the idea was rattling around in my brain, it was a huge relief to set it all down. I took a little break to write some poetry after a short creative rest… and… well… it kind of turned into a project all it’s own. As a result, I now have the equivalent of a 65-work collection.

Yeesh.

Given the limited market (and even more limited rates) for such books, I may just end up self-publishing the thing.

On top of that, there are at least three other book ideas I plan to hit (one far sooner than the others as it lacks any intense research demands), as well as a handful of short stories. I’ve yet to decide on which way to focus next, but either way, it should be interesting.

Things have been interesting as of late. I’ve all but filled my first sketchbook with a mess of horror art. On the whole, it’s been a good experience and a nice chance to have a creative hobby of sorts again. The lack of pressure is certainly relaxing. That said, I really am hoping I can make considerable strides in technique during 2019. Because yeah, shading remains something of a sucky, confusing mess.

Meanwhile, I’m knee-deep in a new book! It’s not coming along badly so far, and I have a firm deadline set for the end of December. I’m going to do my absolute damnedest to keep it unless the story runs far longer than expected.

Unfortunately, the list of publishers receptive to the length of work I enjoy writing (I’m a novella guy through and through) has only become more dire over the years. I may have to consider trying to sell some of my books as a collection just to get them in the door. We’ll see.

Oh yeah, and there’s a brand-new installment of Under the Radar just below. Enjoy!

There’s something about classic point-and-click adventure games that lends itself well to horror. The slower pace offers a greater chance to revel in a well-crafted atmosphere, building with each clue the player uncovers regarding the plot. Very rarely are there opportunities to slay the monsters in these games–only to discover the horrors they’ve wreaked, and the effects such hard-earned knowledge may have on the character you play.

For my money, Scratches is the best damn example of this genre.

The game follows writer Michael Arthate. Struggling to follow up on the success of his last book, a friend of his arranges a writing retreat in an aging estate. It isn’t long before Michael begins to realize the house has a sordid history complete with suspected murder and disappearances, among other bizarre incidents. Worse, it seems as though Michael will have the chance to encounter some of the house’s strangeness firsthand…

While Scratches doesn’t offer anything particularly new from a gameplay or graphics perspective (the game was a small production made in 2006, after all), the skill with which it executes its narrative makes it a standout. Nearly from the start, the game’s tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. The music is superb, evoking unease and genuine dread during a number of key moments. While adventure games are notorious for their difficulty, Scratches manages to maintain a respectable level of challenge without resorting to the moon logic of its brethren (although a few puzzles do skate close to the ridiculous, especially in the last act). And then, there’s the story. It’s a gem. The murder mystery seed planted early develops into something far more twisted and unnatural (this is me trying to avoid spoilers), making each new bit of the story a pleasure to unveil.

Some might be put off by Scratches‘ slow burn style of gaming, but I adore it. It’s the rare game that gave me everything I wanted from it going in: a mystery to tug at my brain rather than my trigger finger. Even after a few years, the experience has stuck with me, and I’d love to share it with all of you. Alas, the game is no longer available on Steam, but you can always hunt it down on Amazon like I did. While the game’s developer, Nucleosys, has long gone out of business, founder Augustin Cordes went on to create Senscape. They’ve been hard at work on a new game (Asylum) that will hopefully be out soon after years of development. Here’s hoping Cordes can capture that lightning in a bottle twice.

I’ll spare you the gory details, but let’s just say daily tending to a cat with a persistent medical issue is a drain in every way imaginable. The battle continues on that front, but at least it’s a problem that’s become routine after so many treatments.

In happier news: The Last Look is 100% done and in need of a publisher…as are my books Bestiary and Surviving the Crash. Alas, my favorite publisher is backed up until well into next year.

Nerts.

I still have a few prospective options in mind for them, so we’ll have to wait and see if anything pans out. I also have a number of new book ideas already piled up that I plan to start work on soon. There might even be a novel in there. We’ll see.

Oh yeah, and I’m suddenly drawing again after about fifteen years. The fact that I don’t seem to be completely terrible at it is quite…surprising to me, to put it mildly. I may even post a few pieces up here if I can get them completed to my satisfaction.

Well, here’s hoping I’m finally back to updating this little corner of the internet on the reg again.